Something Bad, Happening in Oz?
by Mosrael Chaos
Summary: Has become an extremely AU, but is still bookverse. What if it was Elphaba that found Doctor Dillamond? Also, Glinda explores her powers. [Gelphie]
1. Chapter 1

"Good morning Elphie." Galinda blinked in the bright sunshine of the freshly opened curtains.

"And what is so good about it?" Elphaba replied, covering her eyes with her pillow. Galinda shook her and pointed to the bathroom.

"I'm going to take at least a half hour in there, so do what you must now before I take up my time." Elphaba stood and shuffled to the bathroom, spending only ten minutes.

"I'm going to meet with Doctor Dillamond today, so I'll be back around afternoon." Elphaba pulled on some fresh clothes and headed out the door.

"Doctor Dillamond?" There was no response. "Doctor Dillamond?" Again, there was no response. Elphaba wondered where he could be, how engrossed in his work he had to be before he began ignoring callers.

Galinda heard the scream. Probably all of Shiz heard the scream. It was wild, animal, furious, frightened, and pained. With her hair only half-curled and barely a touch of lip-gloss on, Galinda rushed outside to see the problem.

Elphaba barely recognized that she had screamed, but her vocal chords were raw. Involuntary tears welled up in her eyes. Elphaba was numb to the pain. She was not, however, numb to a rolling in her stomach. She fell to her knees and vomited, regurgitated all of last night's dinner. Madame Morrible came rushing to the sound of the scream, followed by terrified girls and professors.

Galinda forced her way to the front and knelt beside Elphaba, who was still nearly turning herself inside out.

"Oh, Elphie." Galinda couldn't look at the Goat. She would be sick too. She carefully held Elphaba's hair and waited for the vomiting to subside.

"Someone get the girls out of here." An imposing voice ordered. The shuffling of many slipper-shod feet signaled the retreat of the residents and professors.

It seemed finally that Elphaba was ready to stop being sick. She gasped for air and let Galinda find a handkerchief and wipe her mouth. Galinda held out her arms and Elphaba fell into them, sobbing. She could not stop the tears, but the pain somehow made her feel better. Like she could still feel, at least.

The two girls were led, after Elphaba had regained some control over herself, back to their room, where they were advised to stay.

"Elphie, will you do something for me?" Galinda held Elphaba still while she tried to overcome the urge to be sick again. Elphaba moaned gutturally and Galinda took that as a yes. "I'd like you to start calling me Glinda, not G_a_linda. Doctor..." _Glinda_ broke off, not wanting to upset Elphie more. "He called me that once, on accident." Elphie moaned again and Glinda smiled weakly.

Late in the night, Glinda could hear Elphaba forcing back the tears that burned her so. Elphaba finally crawled into Glinda's bed and wrapped her arms around her roommate, taking shallow, uneven breaths, and speaking in a whispered, broken tone.

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"Dear Elphie, please stop crying. You'll burn yourself into oblivion. You'll simply melt away!" The newly renamed Glinda gently wiped every stray tear that fell from Elphaba's eyes.

"It won't matter anymore. I have no one." Elphaba sniffled. Glinda shook her head.

"What about your family?" Elphaba laughed bitterly.

"Nessa was always Father's favorite. And I'm just green, so what parent would love me?" Elphaba replied.

"I would love you." Glinda stated softly. Elphaba looked into her eyes and saw no glimmer of jest or guile.

"You...no. Not if I was your child. Not for anything, you wouldn't love me." Elphaba buried her head into Glinda's stomach, her words now muffled by Glinda's pajamas. "You would be just like my dear mother. You'd be frightened and hateful and careless and you'd go and have an affair with a Quadling and ruin my sister with your stupid pinlobble leaves and your damned anti-green skin pills just so you wouldn't have to face another green child and then you'd have a son finally and just up and die when you were bringing him into the world and--"

"Elphie!" Glinda cut her off sharply. "I am not your mother. I would not be frightened and hateful and careless, and for Lurline's sake, why would I have an affair with a Quadling? No, Elphie, I would love you."

Tears burned trails of fire down Elphaba's face and she was surprised there was still face for them to run down.

"Elphaba Thropp, stop crying this instant and let me kiss you." Elphaba sat up, her red-rimmed eyes wide with surprise.

"What?" Glinda wiped the final few tears from Elphaba's face and kissed her gently on the lips. Elphaba smiled wanly. "So the truth _comes out_, as it were." Glinda blushed gracefully and Elphaba turned a slightly darker shade of green.

"It would seem so." Glinda replied. Elphaba thread a green finger through Glinda's golden curls and kissed her roommate.

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"At least we get another day to recuperate." Glinda still held Elphaba, after hours and hours of simple talking. It was dark as pitch outside and it seemed that, no matter how many girls were affected by Doctor Dillamond's murder, Elphaba and Glinda were the only ones still awake discussing it.

In the past twelve hours, the two girls had overall: discovered a corpse, cried enough tears to burn off Elphaba's face, changed Glinda's name in honor of the doctor, and discovered a new level to their relationship. Glinda proposed that in the evening the next day, the two girls, Boq, Avaric, Fiyero, Crope and Tibbet, and Nanny and Nessarose all go out and have a funeral for Doctor Dillamond. Elphaba nodded and sighed.

"Well, I think it's nearly sunrise. Let's get some sleep." Elphaba sighed again and made to stand up, but her legs shook as she tried to walk back to her bed. "Do you...mind if I...?" Glinda giggled slightly and made room for Elphaba to curl up under the covers.

Glinda could not help smiling as she felt Elphaba's regular deep breathing against hers. She wrapped an arm around Elphaba's stomach, snuggled her head into the crook of Elphaba's neck, and fell asleep.

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	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much to my lovely reviewers and thanks for being patient! Here's another chapter and I'll get the third one up ASAP!**

Elphaba spent the entire morning abed, complaining of stomach cramps.

"It's because, darling Elphie, you spent all of yesterday throwing up." Glinda stroked Elphaba's hair and made up her mind to get Elphaba awake. "Let's get something to eat."

"Nooo, Glinda, I'm sick." Elphaba protested, but Glinda pulled her roommate up by the shoulders and dragged her to the bathroom to get ready. After several protests about makeup and clothing, Elphaba was outfitted in a regular black dress and cloak, with no makeup like Glinda wanted.

The cafeteria was less rowdy and not as excitable as usual, the girls conversing quietly. When Elphaba and Glinda walked through the door, the entire hall went silent. All eyes were on the pair, and only Glinda's hand on Elphaba's back propelled her forward.

"Oh Oz, Glinda, I can't do this. I feel sick again." Elphaba complained, trying to backtrack with Glinda's hand stopping her.

"Come on, Elphie, you've got to eat. You'll waste away." Glinda pushed and pushed, finally forcing Elphaba into the lunch line.

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"Glinda, please, please don't make me do this. I think I'm going to be sick!" Elphaba turned her face from the food presented to her. Syrupy cider, fresh, cold apples, a sandwich layered with turkey and lettuce. "All I can think of is Doctor Dillamond!" Elphaba shoved at the tray, which did not crash on the floor as Glinda had expected, but stayed steadfastly stuck to the sheets, as Glinda had hoped it might, for some odd reason.

"Did I do that?" Glinda looked amazed at the extent of her powers already.

"Don't make me eat it." Elphaba poked at the tray, which still stubbornly sat. Glinda clapped her hands excitedly.

"Okay wait Elphie, pick up the apple and throw it at the wall on the count of three, all right?" Elphaba sighed and picked up a fairly good sized red-yellow apple, preparing to heave it at the blue wall across from the bed.

"Ready when you are." Elphaba raised her eyebrows, aiming for the spot right above Glinda's pillow.

"Three...two...one!" Glinda concentrated with all her might on making the apple stick to Elphaba's hand. With one great thrust, Elphaba hurled the apple at the wall, where it splattered sickeningly and dripped onto Glinda's pillow. Glinda shrieked and Elphaba suppressed a cackle at the result.

"My apple!" Elphaba feigned anger that her apple had been ruined so.

"My pillow!" Glinda was infuriated. "Why did you do that!" Elphaba turned to the girl with a look on her face that clearly stated, "You have absolutely no brains to speak of."

"Glinda, you have absolutely no brains to speak of. You _told_ me to throw the stupid apple!" Elphaba stalked to Glinda's bed, lifting the mess of pips and mush. She let it drop with another muffled splat to Glinda's pink sheets, making the shorter girl shriek again.

"ELPHABAWHATAREYOUDOING!" Glinda's face turned a bright red and her sentence was skewed together, as if she couldn't find the time to add pauses because she was so ablaze with anger. Elphaba merely cackled with laughter, spreading the mush around the sheets with increasing glee. Glinda raised her hands and a hot white bolt of light burnt the ceiling directly above her.

"Oh, Glinda, this is too much fun." Elphaba lifted the mush covered, slightly wet, smelly sheets and let Glinda stare at them.

"Elphie, I've no other sheets!" Elphaba grinned.

"Looks like you'll be bunking with me for a while, then."

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	3. Chapter 3

"To the finest Goat in all of Oz!" Elphaba raised her glass of wine and toasted Doctor Dillamond.

"Here here." The small crowd of friends lifted their glasses too. Glinda, who had told this group of her name change, wrapped her arm around Elphaba and buried her face in the folds of Elphaba's black cape.

"Ah, to the emotional drunk!" Elphaba raised her glass again and everyone around the table laughed.

"How did she get drunk after two glasses of wine?" Fiyero pointed just to the right of Glinda, as he had had many more than two glasses of wine and much more than his share of vodka. Elphaba, who had drained only one glass of wine and no vodka, lifted Glinda's head.

"She weighs, what, a hundred pounds? She's a lightweight!" Elphaba proved this by hauling Glinda up onto her feet and then letting her fall back onto Elphaba's lap.

Fiyero giggled. "For a hundred pounds, she's stacked!" Elphaba again lifted Glinda's head so she could inspect Glinda's endowment.

"Well I'll be a..." Elphaba thought for a moment. What was the most outrageous thing she could think of? "Well I'll be a flying monkey!" The table burst into laughter. Glinda lifted her head of her own accord.

"Flaming munchies don't exist!" Glinda protested. Elphaba laughed and smoothed back Glinda's curls.

"Sleep, my drunken little pet."

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"Hey, Ephlaba! No...Elphabo. Elpha..." Glinda paused, confused. Elphaba laughed kindly.

"Elphaba?" Glinda nodded.

"That's the one." Elphaba found her hand was in the shaky grip of her drunk friend.

"You're green!" Glinda laughed out loud. "Like this girl I know! You should meet her!" Fiyero, drunker than Glinda, stared in amazement.

"Holy Ozma! Glinda's right! Elphaba's green like Elphie!" Boq, the only other sober one, laughed with Elphaba.

"Glinda, you are drunk." Elphaba began to pick Glinda up. Glinda willingly melted into Elphaba's arms, giggling like a madman.

"I'll get Fiyero back, then?" Boq lifted Fiyero's arm and tugged on the prince.

"Do I get a goodnight kiss?" Fiyero slurred. Boq stepped immediately away from him, but Elphaba only held up Glinda.

"Did you not notice she's practically passed out?" Fiyero shook his head.

"From you!" Elphaba's face turned a little lighter, as if she was turning white.

"I have to get Glinda back to the room, she's gonna pass out soon." Elphaba rushed away to hide the deep green blush that now covered her face and neck. Glinda giggled and put her hand on the warm green skin.

"You and diamond-boy sitting in a tree!" Glinda singsonged.

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	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'd like to thank you guys for being patient yet again! This is a teensy bit of filler, really, but yay for an update, no? I'd especially like to thank MG87 who has not failed to comment on each chapter I put up. Thank you!**

"Mmhmm, come 'ere Effie." Glinda slurred. "Kiss is for Effie." Elphaba put a finger to Glinda's lips to silence her and reprimanded the drunken girl in a harsh whisper.

"Nanny and Nessa are probably asleep by now. Shhh!" Nanny, who had declined a third bottle of wine and taken Nessa back to the room, appeared in the doorway and frowned.

"Nessa is a very light sleeper, Nanny hopes you girls know." Elphaba nodded fervently, glancing at Glinda. Nanny nodded knowingly and shut the door behind her. Glinda had suddenly taken it upon herself to pull Elphaba's finger into her mouth and make sure that not a single inch was dry.

"Glinda, dear, that tickles, please stop it." Elphaba whispered in Glinda's ear. Glinda made her way to Elphaba's bed and flopped down onto it.

"Bedtime?" Elphaba sighed and nodded, not even bothering to get undressed. Glinda, already totally unconscious, would have to sort out her own clothes in the morning.

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"Good morning to you, Glinda." Elphaba whispered into her roommate's ear.

"Good what?" Glinda groaned and put a hand to her head. Elphaba climbed out of bed and opened the window, making Glinda throw an arm up to shield her eyes. "Sweet Lurline, Elphie!" Glinda whispered hoarsely. Elphaba closed the window again, letting the darkness permeate the room again.

"You were so drunk last night." Elphaba laughed. "But get up, it's Wednesday and you're going to be late for sorcery." Glinda scrambled up and threw on a fresh pair of clothes, frowning at her horribly wrinkled old outfit.

"Why did you let me sleep in my clothes?" Glinda held up the wrinkled shirt.

"You looked so peaceful!" Elphaba laughed. Running out the door, Glinda threw a dirty glance back at Elphaba who was still standing by the bed, laughing.

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"And then we recite it as such and you may now reach into your fire and..." Glinda tuned out the sorcery lesson for today. Certainly it was something she could already do. Reaching into fires, honestly, it seemed ridiculous. Like she would ever need to touch anything on fire. She snorted and rolled her eyes at the thought.

"Miss Glinda?" The boy who sat next to her turned his head and raised his eyebrows. "Are you all right?" Glinda blushed a light pink and nodded. Had she been loud? The only thing that she could concentrate on was the dull throb of her headache. She must have been very drunk to have such a persistent headache. But all this thinking was only making it worse!

"Practice the fire spell in your spare time and see if you can manage it by next lesson!" The bell rang and Glinda jumped, lost in a reverie of, could it be? Thought! She gathered her book and bag and rushed out of the classroom.

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"How bad was I last night?" Glinda whispered confidentially to Elphaba. A small smirk crossed Elphaba's face.

"For starters, you kept trying to kiss me. Then I put my finger on your mouth because you were being loud and you practically chewed it off. In front of Nanny, no less." Glinda's face went from rosy and cute to scarlet and obviously embarrassed. Elphaba lifted Glinda's finger and repeated what had happened. Glinda's face was red hot and she buried it in her hands, squeaking out something that could have been an apology.

"What did you just do to Glinda!" Fiyero took a seat next to Elphaba and smiled at Glinda. "Her head's just about to explode, isn't it?" Glinda looked up at Fiyero and managed a tiny smile before she had to cover her face again.

"Don't you have the worst headache, Fiyero?" Elphaba poked a blue diamond on Fiyero's chin. He shook his head.

"I know how to hold my liquor." He grinned in a self-satisfied way. Elphaba raised an eyebrow.

"It didn't seem that way last night when you asked me for a goodnight kiss." Glinda looked up at Fiyero, getting a very sly look on her face. Fiyero bit his lip.

"Did I?" He faltered. Elphaba nodded slowly. Glinda rushed her hand out and laid it on Elphaba's.

"She's mine. I stake my claim on her." Glinda grinned triumphantly and scooted her chair close to Elphaba's.

"You can't claim her!" Fiyero groaned. "I don't even want to claim her!" Elphaba frowned.

"You don't want to claim me?" If it was even possible in that icy demeanor of hers, Elphaba looked hurt. Fiyero quickly sputtered.

"No! I mean, I do want to claim you." He groped for words.

"So now I'm your property?" Elphaba shot back.

"_My _property!" Glinda protested.

"You're not property, not at all." Fiyero and Elphaba totally ignored Glinda's claims and began to argue.

"What I mean is--"

"Do you think I'm--"

"She's mine!" Glinda continually put in when there was a temporary cease-fire.

"Glinda, let's go back to the room." Elphaba said icily. Fiyero groaned and tossed a small package at the back of Elphaba's head. She whipped around and snatched it up, stuffing it in a pocket in her robe.

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"Oh my God, Glinda, look at this." Elphaba, in getting ready for bed, had felt a strange lump in her cloak. She unwrapped the package the Fiyero had thrown at her and pulled out a tightly wound ball of scarf. She unfurled in and gasped in amazement.

"It's beautiful, Elphie!" The scarf was dark blue with a pattern of roses sewn into it. Elphaba wrapped the scarf around her bare waist and admired the contrast it made. Glinda crawled into Elphaba's bed and played with the scarf's fringe.

"Let's sleep, shall we?" Elphaba sighed and laid an arm over Glinda's form, falling asleep almost instantly.

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	5. Chapter 5

"Today we have a special guest!" Doctor Nikidik announced. He was filling in Doctor Dillamond's position and Elphaba already resented him for it. The students leaned forward, eager to meet the guest. Doctor Nikidik whipped the cover off a large cube-shaped object that had been resting at his feet when the students had arrived for the lesson.

A few gasps were heard and a couple silly girls cooed. A cub, Lion or lion--it was impossible to tell--was cowering in the corner of its cage, mewling piteously. Doctor Nikidik began to mumble about Life and life, the effects of the cage, and then he brought out a very large wooden mallet. Elphaba stood up furiously, catching only the words, "eliminate" and "pain" before she began shouting.

"You'd hurt that cub just for the purpose of science!" Elphaba let a string of angry ranting loose and began gesticulating wildly, nearly hitting Boq and Fiyero as she pointed.

"Miss Elphaba, please," Doctor Nikidik called for her silence, but then a few more people stood and cried out for the cub to be released and unharmed. A couple of girls broke open the latch on the cage and pulled the cub into an apron between them, scampering out of the hall, presumably to release the cub as soon as possible.

"Elphaba, you're shaking." Boq touched Elphaba's shoulder lightly and she whipped her head around, her dark eyes filled with fire. She sank into her seat, her legs no longer supporting her, and buried her pale face in her quivering hands.

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"What's wrong with Elphie?" Glinda did not dare ask Elphaba directly, for fear that she might turn into a toad of some kind. Fiyero, staring into the blue sky, did not answer. Boq decided he ought to clue Glinda in, it was more than either Fiyero or Elphaba had deigned to do.

"Doctor Nikidik wanted to hurt a lion cub this morning and Elphaba got really upset about it." Boq supplied. Elphaba focused on Boq's face with a sharp glare.

"Don't talk about me as though I can't hear you!" Her words were fiery and made Boq flinch.

"You wouldn't tell her, nor would Fiyero, so who was going to say it?" Fiyero blinked at the mention of his name.

"Nor," he mused. "I like that word." Glinda rolled her eyes and leaned her head against Elphaba's shoulder. Elphaba angrily shook her off and stood up.

"I'm leaving." Elphaba pronounced. Boq and Fiyero made no move to stop her, but Glinda tugged on the hem of her dress.

"Are you mad about the lion?" Glinda unwisely asked. Elphaba wrenched her dress from Glinda's grasp and furiously pounded away, off to who-knows-where. The students that saw her coming immediately gave her a berth of at least ten feet.

Glinda's eyes filled with childish tears.

"Was it something I said?" Boq rubbed her back gently, trying to figure the puzzle that was Elphaba.

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Elphaba wanted to speed into the library, but Crope and Tibbet were working on manuscripts and she wanted to avoid anyone who would dare talk to her. Instead, she found that her legs had propelled her into the Life Sciences classroom. She stood completely still, staring at Doctor Nikidik. He lifted his head and frowned at Elphaba.

"So you're back. Going to hex me, then?" He smiled at his own joke and returned to his work. Elphaba stepped forward slowly and raised her arms. There was not a spark of magic that flew from her fingertips. Doctor Nikidik looked up again and frowned.

"Miss, please, if you would leave now?" He pointed to the door, but Elphaba already launched into action. Her green fingers curled into hard fists and slammed themselves into Doctor Nikidik's jaw and stomach. Doctor Nikidik cried out in surprise and pain, raising an arm to protect himself. Elphaba worked herself into a fury, punching, kicking sometimes, at every inch of Doctor Nikidik she could reach.

"Miss Elphaba!" Doctor Nikidik continually shouted at her, trying to bring her out of her anger. Arms and hands pulled at Elphaba's body, tearing her away from her aggressive attack on the doctor. Elphaba screamed and swore, digging her fingernails into the arms that held her back. Boq and Fiyero shouted in her ears, calling for her to stop. Eventually, after much bleeding on Boq's, Fiyero's, and Doctor Nikidik's part, and much swearing, snarling, and general fierceness on Elphaba's part, the green girl's energy was spent.

As her rage slowly seeped away, Elphaba found herself breathing heavily, blood and skin and hair under her fingernails and her friends' arms around her waist and shoulders and neck. She hung her head, waiting for them to let her go.

"Elphie?" Boq asked gently, his voice hoarse after endless shouts in her ears. He nodded to Fiyero and they both released her thin frame. She slumped to the floor and did not say a word. This sudden silence frightened the boys.

"Elphie! Elphaba!" Fiyero bent and shook Elphaba's shoulders. He swore under his breath and lifted her up so that she was leaning on him.

"Have your Miss Elphaba see me soon, Masters Boq and Fiyero, we have punishment to discuss." Doctor Nikidik rearranged his ugly gray suit and sat at his desk, trying to find tissues to stop the flow of blood.

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"Glinda!" Boq shouted to Glinda, who had locked herself in the room and was pouting. "Elphie's gone funny, you'd better let us in!" Glinda pattered to the door and whipped it open.

"Oh Elphie!" Glinda pulled the pointed hat off her head and smoothed her hair, which had become sweaty ringlets. "Where did you find her and what did she do?" Glinda gasped as she inspected the blood under Elphaba's fingernails.

"She attacked Doctor Nikidik and she was going to beat him to death, we guess." Fiyero was checking Elphaba's pulse and breathing.

"We don't want to take her to the nurse," Boq bit his lip. "She might ask questions." Glinda nodded and began searching the bathroom for oils with which to clean Elphaba up.

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	6. Chapter 6

_Elphaba remembered cupcakes. Or was it cupcakes? Perhaps it had been a real cake, with lots of frosting and bright candles. Yes, that had been it. It was a large pink frosted cake with many candles, such a luxury in sparse Quadling country. And on the top, "Happy Birthday Nessa" in red writing. How had that cake come about? There was a fuzz of activity, there in the hut. Yes, Nanny and Elphaba had all pitched many hours of work into the confection. And the brightly wrapped presents littering the table in front of Nessa. The smile on her face was giant and she was so happy. It gave Elphaba only the slightest twinge of jealousy that day, only because Nessa was feeling so good and Elphaba hadn't wanted to ruin it._

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"Elphie!" Glinda shook her roommate carefully by the shoulders, pressing her forehead to Elphaba's and calling to her. Elphaba had been moaning in her sleep, tossing about under the covers and whimpering. There were some words, "Nessa" and occasionally "birthday."

Elphaba gasped and her eyes shot open. Her arms, pinned to her sides by Glinda's thighs, wriggled and she squirmed uncomfortably.

"Glinda!" Elphaba panted, out of breath. Glinda retreated to the foot of the bed and waited for Elphaba to collect herself.

"Elphie, what did you dream about?" Glinda asked worriedly. Elphaba turned her eyes down and blinked several times.

"Nessa's birthday party, years ago." Elphaba sighed and laid her head back on the pillow, blinking slowly now. "There was a big cake that Nanny and I took forever to make and Nessa was so happy, she got a pile of presents, most from Father." Elphaba smiled thinly at the memory of her sister's happiness.

"Was that it?" Glinda asked, twirling her fingers around her toes absentmindedly. Elphaba nodded, not wanting to share her guilt at feeling jealous of her poor sister.

"That was the year he got her this beautiful dress, it was covered with small stones, they shone in the sun like diamonds. I think she might still have it, though I'm not sure it would fit her any longer." Elphaba sighed wistfully and sat up again, quickly erasing all traces of emotion from her face. Suddenly, she recalled why she was in bed and her face fell.

"Elphaba?" Nessa had carefully tottered into the room on unsure feet and was resting herself on the door jamb. Elphaba looked up and smiled.

"Nessa!" The voice she put out was false and happy. Nessa saw through it immediately.

"Elphaba, I heard about what you did to Doctor Nikidik." Nessa's voice was stern and her features hard. Glinda grasped Elphaba's hand gently and turned to face the green girl.

"Yes, I shouldn't have done it. I don't know why I did it." Elphaba cast her face down and avoided both her sister's and Glinda's eye. Nessa maneuvered herself up with the help of the wood behind her and began to return to her room. As if on a whim, she poked her head back into the doorway and frowned.

"You should ask the Unnamed God for forgiveness, Fabala." And she was gone. Elphaba buried her face in Glinda's knees, letting the shorter girl tangle her dainty fingers in Elphaba's heavy raven hair.

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"He's going to kill me," Elphaba sighed and knocked gently on Doctor Nikidik's door.

"Enter." Doctor Nikidik called. Elphaba entered and took a deep breath. Doctor Nikidik frowned up at her with narrowed eyes.

"Doctor?" Elphaba stood uncomfortably and held her hands close to her body, trying to put on a reassuring pose. Doctor Nikidik sighed and motioned for her to sit.

"Miss Elphaba, you have done a very--" Doctor Nikidik began to mumble again. Elphaba stifled a sigh of disappointment that she would not be able to understand what he really intended. "So I think you ought to mumble mumble, to make up for your mumble." Elphaba frowned.

"I'm sorry?" She asked, as politely as she could. Doctor Nikidik frowned at her, but repeated his sentence. "Yes, sir." Elphaba trudged out of the room and fought back tears of sorrow.

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"How'd it go!" Glinda excitedly rushed to Elphaba as the door opened and pulled her to the bed. "Elphie?" Elphaba lifted her head and wiped furiously at burning tears.

"He said I needed to be s-suspended." Elphaba hated herself for the stutter in her voice. "I'm going home for a week." Glinda made a soft sound of disappointment.

"Dear, I'll be back soon, I promise. Niki-dick head said Morrible would magic me home so I wouldn't have to use the train." Glinda giggled at the nickname, but quickly stifled it.

"Must you be so crass, Elphie?" Elphaba nodded sanctimoniously. Glinda kissed her and kissed her and kissed her, waiting for a reaction.

"Oh, Glinda, dear, I need to pack." Elphaba stood and left Glinda feeling disappointed.

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	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks to wickednrentrock for the advice!**

Elphaba clutched her valise, packed with only an extra pair of clothes for the trip home, and waited nervously. Glinda rushed to her, obviously trying to hold back tears, and thrust a scarf in her face. The Vinkus scarf, the one Fiyero had given to her. Glinda pressed a hurried kiss to Elphaba's lips and rushed away, wiping, no doubt, the tears that fell down her cheeks.

"Miss Elphaba?" Morrible stood imposingly before her and raised her arms.

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"Elphaba!" Frexspar the Godly was not at all pleased to find his eldest daughter on his front step when she should have been studying at Shiz. "What are you doing here?" Elphaba stared at her boots and mumbled something about being sent home for the week.

"Fabala!" Shell cried out with glee. He rushed to his sister and wrapped his arms around her waist. Elphaba flinched. She couldn't remember the last time someone in her family hugged her like this, not that Nessa could anyway.

"Hey, Shell." Elphaba smiled and tousled his hair. Frex led his daughter and son into the house and sat on a chair, waiting for the story.

Elphaba felt a lump rise in her throat when she began to tell the story about rescuing the Lion cub, but it immediately disappeared when she got to the part about beating Doctor Nikidik. Frex had his mouth open the entire time, wondering from where this vicious daughter had come.

"Oh Elphaba," Frex was too disappointed to use Elphaba's nickname. "Where did I go wrong with you?" It was not until the words were out of his mouth that he realized Elphaba would blow up at him.

"WHERE DID YOU GO WRONG!" Elphaba screamed. "Where DIDN'T you go wrong?" Elphaba began to list things off, flipping up each of her emerald fingers as she counted. As each blow fell onto her father, Elphaba could not help but feel sorry for the old man. She stopped after she filled up her hands with reasons. Frex's face was a mask of despair and disappointment. Elphaba wanted to stand and hug him, but he suddenly stood and walked away.

Shell sat, nonplussed, on the chair next to hers.

"Does this mean you'll be staying with us now?" He finally asked. Elphaba sighed and nodded. He grinned and hopped up. "I wanna show you my new room!"

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Elphaba settled into her old room, not yet remade for guests, and stared up at the ceiling. It was far past midnight and she still could not sleep. She was used to the girly exhalations of Glinda, used to Glinda's body fitting into hers at night. She was not used to the childish snores of Shell, to the pillow she clutched to herself. Finally, a thought struck her. She dug around in her valise for the scarf that Glinda had remembered to hand her before she left.

With the gorgeous scarf wrapped around her thin waist, Elphaba closed her eyes and drifted into a light sleep, tantalized by dreams of Glinda.

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Frex snuck into the room where his daughter slept, making as little noise as possible. He looked down at her, her soft green face, her darker lips curved up into a smile. She really was a striking girl, beautiful in her own respect. He gently laid his palm on her cheek. Elphaba unconsciously leaned into the touch, murmuring quietly in her sleep.

"Oh, my dear, why can't I love you?" Frex closed the door as he left, hoping against hope that somehow he could manage to find a piece of his heart for his Fabala.

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"FABALA!" Shell cried out into Elphaba's ear, far earlier than she would have liked. "Fabala! Fabala, breakfast!" Shell tugged Elphaba's blankets off and stared down at the scarf around her waist.

"Don't touch that!" Elphaba snapped, irritated at her brother already. He rushed down the hall, singing gaily and skipping about. He was the only one in the family not intimidated in some way by emerald Elphaba. Elphaba climbed out of the bed and untied the scarf, setting it under her pillow.

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"What _is_ this?" Elphaba lifted a spoonful of what looked like the very Quadling marshes themselves. Frex frowned at her.

"We can't all be eating University breakfasts every day." He said disdainfully. Apparently his heart was too full of the care for Nessa and the upbringing of Shell. Elphaba sighed and pushed the bowl away. Shell eagerly tucked in to her serving as well.

Elphaba stormed upstairs, uselessly angry with her father, and flung herself onto the bed. She groped under her pillow and removed the Vinkus scarf, carefully pressing it into her skin, savoring the feel of the silk.

"Glinda, where are you?"

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"Glinda, where are you?" Fiyero hammered on Glinda's door, trying to reach the girl. She had sulked into her room the day before, when Elphaba had left, and had not returned outside since. Glinda curled further into Elphaba's bed and squeezed her pillow.

"Go away!" Her voice was ragged with tears. Fiyero sighed.

"I'll just have to break down this door." He began pounding as if his very life depended on it. Glinda frowned.

"You'll just have to explain to Madame Morrible why our door is off its hinges, then." Glinda called back, trying to sink into her sheets and pillows. Fiyero immediately stopped banging on the door and Glinda felt satisfied that she had thoroughly threatened him into stopping.

"Miss Glinda!" A sudden and sharp voice startled Glinda to the door. She opened it carefully, wiping her eyes slightly to make herself look at least a little better and peeked around the corner.

"Aha, Doctor Molk!" Glinda leveled a glare at Fiyero, who opened his eyes wide and held up his palms as if to say, "What can I do?"

"Yes, Miss Glinda, would you mind informing me why there is a _boy_ trying to break in your door?" Doctor Molk frowned at Fiyero disapprovingly.

"I think he might suspect that I've broken contact with the outside world. As it is, I have not come out of my room for the past two days." Glinda gave Doctor Molk a small smile.

"And why is it that you have broken contact, as you put it?" Doctor Molk pulled Glinda's door open a little more and stood in the doorway, an imposing figure.

"Please, Doctor," Glinda motioned for the tall woman to bend down to Glinda's level. "Understand this as a woman yourself, I'm bleeding and I don't feel well at all." Doctor Molk raised her heavily penciled eyebrows and nodded knowingly.

"Try to keep nosy _boys_ away from your door, if it is possible." Doctor Molk turned to leave. "And if you feel too nauseous, check in with the dispensary for a pass from class." Glinda nodded fervently and stared at Doctor Molk until the large woman was out of sight.

"What did you just--" Fiyero began, but Glinda slammed the door in his face.

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"Fabala!" Shell shook Elphaba awake for the second time. Elphaba groaned and decided she did not want to spend the entire week being shaken awake by her brother.

"What the hell do you want, Shell?" Elphaba usually refrained from swearing in front of the boy, but it was hard when he was being so _persistent_.

"Fabala, you've slept through lunch and Father said he wants you to take a hike today." Shell said excitedly. A hike? That was just what Elphaba needed, fresh air, pine needles--A clap of thunder roused her from her musings. Of course, it just had to be raining.

"Shell, did Father really want me to take a hike today?" Shell nodded emphatically. Elphaba picked up a pillow and hit Shell hard with it. She chased him out of the room and locked the door, insurance that neither he nor her father would bother her today. She pulled out a sketchbook, filled with small sketches of Glinda's face, Boq's clothing, Nessa's shoes, many different things. She decided to sketch Glinda's face from memory.

"Fabala," her father startled her out of her sketching reverie. "I thought I told you to have a hike today."

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	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yes, Frex's personality changes a bit in this chapter, but perhaps you'll see why. And now this story's taken a VERY strange turn, I'm not sure how it came about.**

Elphaba had never seen her father drunk. It seemed as though Shell was unused to it too, for--though he had been excitable waking Elphaba--he was skirting around Frex as though the priest had a plague of some kind. Frex was holding an empty bottle of some kind of Quadling spirit. Priests normally did not drink, but ever since the Time Dragon came through, there were fewer and fewer priests following that rule.

"Elphaba. Go, hike, now." Frex pointed a shaky finger at the door. Elphaba made no move. Frex grew angry. "Hike!" Elphaba stood, rooted to the spot. Unwise. Frex lunged for his eldest daughter and gave her a ringing slap across the face. Shell shrieked girlishly and ran from the room. Elphaba was stunned. Frex had never, never hit her.

"Father?" Frex turned his back to Elphaba and stalked away, as though it was Elphaba's fault.

"Hike. Get out of my sight." Frex's voice was quiet and fierce. "Just leave." Elphaba snatched up her cloak and dashed out the door. She immediately regretted the decision. Fiery drops pelted her skin before she could whip up the hood of cloak. She hissed angrily and darted behind the large house, into the woods surrounding the estate.

The drippy leaves provided a slight cover for Elphaba. She huffed at her father. How did he dare strike his child? Lightly, she touched the mark his hand had left. Elphaba winced and struck up an angry pace, trekking violently through the wood. She heard small animals scamper away as she stomped around. After a good half hour of aimless stalking about, Elphaba began to cool off. The rain was letting up a little and she felt in good enough spirits to check that the coast was clear before she started humming softly to herself. A little tune she made up one night watching Glinda sleep.

The rain had completely stopped after about an hour and Elphaba wandered closer to where she had entered the woods, nearer to Colwen Grounds. A sudden shriek pierced her thoughts and she tore through the damp woods to get back to the house. She found that the entire estate was in flames. A few passersby were trying to find some kind of extinguisher, the rain now stopped and useless.

"Somebody save the Thropps!" An anonymous voice shouted. Several magical Munchkins were trying to pool enough magic to stop the fire. Elphaba ran forward and looked frantically for her father and brother. They were nowhere to be seen in the crowd. Presumably, this meant they were still in the flaming house. Elphaba, ignoring many shouts from the onlookers to "Stop, what are you doing?" and "Don't do that, Miss Elphaba!", hustled to the door and grabbed the handle, intending to break down the door if need be. The need did not arise, as the door handle was just waiting for an unsuspecting bystander to grab it and sent a jolt of hot pain through Elphaba's arm, making her reel backward into the crowd.

Elphaba stood again, ready to rush back to her family, when the sorcerers of Nest Hardings engulfed the house with water. The splash caught Elphaba's cloak and doused it firmly, but the crowd of Munchkins, whatever small protection they offered, had forcibly spun Elphaba around and covered her legs with their arms.

"Come on, Miss Elphaba." Bfee, the old mayor, took Elphaba's arm and led her away from her own house.

"No!" Elphaba protested. She had to find her father and brother. "Where are Father and Shell?" Bfee simply stood, not speaking, and let Elphaba run back to the house. The door was open, a few Munchkins bravely venturing in to find the Thropps. Elphaba pushed past the men hurriedly and rudely, searching the few rooms downstairs before running up the soggy staircase.

A small body presented itself to her, clutching what was undeniably Elphaba's rose-scarf. The small bits of fringe and a long red thread were the remains of the beautiful material. Elphaba choked back tears and went in search of her father. He was in his own room, holding a burnt stick, a match, Elphaba realized, and a smashed glass bottle of what must have been gasoline. There were many exploded bottles around the room, leading Elphaba to the conclusion that it was purposeful. Filled with rage at her father, she slammed her palm down on the blackened skull. It was still warm and the water that had extinguished the house was glistening on the char. It burnt her hand even more than the doorknob, but she repeated the action again and again until the skull cracked from the spine and fell to the floor.

"Miss Elphaba," Bfee came in and touched her shoulder gently. "We'll get you a train ticket and you can go back to school and explain this to your sister." Elphaba's spirit fell even further. She had forgotten Nessarose for a second. How could she explain _this_ to her darling sister?

"He killed them." Elphaba whispered to Bfee. "He had this gasoline, he sent Shell away, he lit a match, he _killed_ them. He killed himself and my baby brother and he did it on purpose. Why didn't he kill me too! He didn't even live for Nessa. He killed himself and oh my God." Elphaba swooned and fell into Bfee's strong arms.

"Come on, Miss Elphaba, you've got better brains!" Bfee used the common Munchkinlander phrase to snap Elphaba out of her swoon. It didn't work, as he expected it wouldn't. She fainted in his arms and he was forced to lift her up and cart her unceremoniously out of the house. He doubted this was a good image for the next Eminent Thropp, but really, her father just killed himself and his own son, so Bfee could hardly ruin the picture more by carrying out a defenseless girl.

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"Yes, Madame." Elphaba's voice was controlled and quiet. Madame Morrible had been questioning her for the last hour about the "unpleasant incident," as she called it. Elphaba had been slowly growing quieter, until finally Morrible had asked if she was quite alright.

"Go off to your sister, Miss Nessarose should know about this." Morrible sent Elphaba off with a small squeeze of the shoulder, the most affectionate touch Elphaba had felt from the headmistress since coming to Shiz. Elphaba sped off to her own room in search of her sister.

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Glinda, who had skipped several days of classes, pounced on Elphaba the second she walked in.

"ELPHIE I MISSED YOU SO!" Glinda clasped Elphaba's face in her hands and kissed her fiercely and repeatedly.

"Glind--" Elphaba kept trying to speak, only to be cut off by another furious kiss. "Glin--Stop!" Finally Elphaba pushed Glinda away angrily.

"What? Elphie, haven't you missed me?" Tears welled up in Glinda's perfect blue eyes.

"Where's Nessa?" Elphaba wanted desperately to kiss Glinda's tears away, but had to remain stable long enough to explain. "Take me to Nessa, I need to tell you both." Without explanation, Elphaba led the way, betraying her own request and dragging Glinda by the wrist to find Nessa.

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"And I found him..." Elphaba was slowly, painfully recounting the story she had encountered, "lying at the head of the staircase, holding the shreds of my blue scarf," Elphaba paused while Glinda forced a gasp backward into her throat. "And Father was--"

Nessa closed her eyes and shook her head. "Stop it." Her calm voice was unusually harsh. Elphaba tried to touch Nessa, brought her hands up and looked as if she would cup Nessa's cheek in her soft green hand, but Nessa jerked her head away. "Stop it." She repeated, the serrated quality not gone from her voice. Elphaba stood abruptly and stalked out of the room. Glinda followed carefully, shooting a sympathetic glance to Nessa before she shut the door gently.

Elphaba had stormed into the bathroom and locked the door. Glinda decided she ought to wait out the fury and the thunderclouds that would undoubtedly emanate from the bathroom. She was unprepared to hear a retching sound. Elphaba was vomiting. Glinda tried to open the door again, even picked a bobby pin out of her hair to try and break open the lock.

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Elphaba leaned over the toilet, nausea overcoming her, and threw up what little she had eaten over the past few days. How common this vomiting at Shiz was becoming, she really must stop it. Her own sensible thoughts made her almost laugh. Almost. First Doctor Dillamond, the thought of that "unpleasant incident" bringing up more vomit, and now part of her family. Elphaba wiped her hand with a shaky mouth and fell backward onto the cold tiled floor, hoping it would cool some of the sweat forming on her forehead and neck.

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